State logs 416 new COVID cases

Here are the most important things to know about the coronavirus in Connecticut:

State logs 416 new COVID cases

The percent of total coronavirus tests that were positive dropped slightly Wednesday, from 3 percent to 2.6 percent. The state added an additional 416 coronavirus cases, and eight new COVID-associated deaths. Four fewer people were hospitalized with COVID-19 infections Wednesday, according to data released by the state.

Hartford averages double in new cases than other CT cities

The rolling seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in Hartford is double that in other major cities in Connecticut, according to a CT Insider analysis of state data. For the last seven

The rolling seven-day average of new coronavirus cases in Hartford is double that in other major cities in Connecticut, according to a CT Insider analysis of state data. For the last seven days, Hartford has averaged 43 new cases per day.

days, Hartford has averaged 43 new cases per day. By comparison, Bridgeport is averaging 23 new cases per day. Danbury, which was considered to be having a coronavirus surge earlier this fall, is averaging 16 new cases per day.

CDC: Over 200,000 excess deaths during pandemic

The CDC said this week that there have been 299,028 so-called “excess deaths” during the course of the pandemic in the United States, significantly more than the 216,000 deaths directly attributed to COVID-19. Excess deaths are the number of deaths above the average for the time period, and are considered a good way to estimate the true loss of life from the pandemic.

Study: 71.5 percent of people open to taking vaccine

Globally, 71.5 percent of people would be “somewhat likely” to take a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a study published this week in the journal Nature. The research asked 13,426 people in 19 countries their feelings on the subject of vaccines, and found a wide range nation to nation. In China, almost 90 percent of people said they would take a vaccine, compared to only 55 percent in Russia. In the United States, 75.42 percent of people answered “yes to the question, “If a COVID-19 vaccine is proven safe and effective and is available, I will take it.”

American Academy of Pediatrics: CT children have lower infection rates than other states

The percent and number of kids with COVID-19 is lower in Connecticut than in most other states, according to a study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nationwide, 10.9 percent of all coronavirus cases were among people aged 18 and under. In Wyoming, nearly 30 percent of all cases were among children, compared to about 4.3 percent in New York City and New Jersey. Connecticut saw less than 10 percent of all COVID cases among children, below the 11 percent median.